Defining corporate calls in Tariscope Enterprise

Tariscope Enterprise (SoftPI) is a telephone accounting system. This system has many various functions that allow you to control the costs of telephone calls, optimally spend money on communication channels, detect unanswered calls and much more. Among these features is the feature to easily identify corporate calls. This feature can be useful for those users who have two or more PBXs and who want to control calls within the telephone network.

Consider a system of two telephone systems connected to each other (Figure 1).

Figure 1

There are two PBXs interconnected by Route 1 (group of lines). PBX 2 has access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) via Route 2. That is, calls from PBX 1 to the PSTN are made via PBX 2. Call data collection is performed from PBX 2. If, for example, a subscriber with extension ‘202’ calls a subscriber of PBX 1 at extension ‘101’, then the CDR (Call Detail Record) data will show that this is an outgoing external call, because it was made outside PBX 2. That is, in the Tariscope system, such a call will be defined as a local call by default. The same situation will occur if CDR data collection is performed from PBX 1, and, for example, a subscriber with extension ‘102’ makes a call to subscriber with extension ‘201’.

In order for such calls in the corporate telephone network to be identified as corporate (internal) calls in the Tariscope system, settings must be made that will allow the system to know that the route connects two corporate PBXs.

Let's consider what settings need to be made in Tariscope for correct processing and billing calls.

1. In Tariscope, you need to create two PBXs, although for our example, the basic settings need to be performed only for one PBX (PBX 2).
2. You need to determine which route number on PBX 2 is used to connect the two PBXs. You need to add this route, set it to work as a Remote cabinet, and in the Equipment Network setting for PBX 2, set it to connect to PBX 1 and set the call type for such calls to "Corporate".
3. All extensions of subscribers of both PBXs are added only for the second PBX.

So, we create two PBXs in Tariscope, an example of which is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

CDR data collection will be performed from the PBX named CS1000two. This PBX uses route 11 (line group) to connect to the PBX named CS1000. Therefore, on the Routes and Gateways settings page of the CS1000two PBX, we add this route (Figure 3).

Figure 3

After creating this route, select the corresponding line on the Routes and Gateways page (Figure 4) and click on the Equipment Network icon on the toolbar.

Figure 4

As a result, a corresponding window appears, where in the Equipment list, select the name of the PBX to which this route connects, and in the Call Type list, select the Corporate value (Figure 5).

Then save this setting.

Figure 5

Again, you need to select the line with this route and click on the Transit Call Tariffication icon on the toolbar. The corresponding window will appear, as shown in Figure 6, where you need to enable the Remote cabinet switch.

Figure 6

As a result of these settings, the line with the route connecting the two PBXs will look similar to that shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

To correctly charge subscribers for the PBX named CS1000two, create a numbering plan on the settings page with that name. This numbering plan must include all extensions (internal telephone numbers) of subscribers of both PBXs.

Next, we add subscribers to Tariscope with their extensions. All extensions in our example must belong to the PBX with the CS1000two name.

For Tariscope to work properly, you must also perform all the other settings described in the Tariscope 4.6. Administrator's Guide document. These settings are not covered in this article.

An example of processed CDR data is shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8

As can be seen from this figure, calls from one PBX, where numbers start with 1, to another PBX, where numbers start with 2, and vice versa, are defined in Tariscope as corporate.

Other corporate telephone network configurations are possible. For example, if in Figure 1 an IP telephone system is used as PBX 2, then instead of the route connecting the PBX, you must determine the IP address of the gateway through which such a connection is made and enter this IP address instead of the route number (Figure 3).

If you have more than two PBXs in your corporate telephone network, then settings similar to those described in this article must be made for all routes (gateways) used to connect PBXs to the network.

In addition, for all PBXs that have a separate access to the public switched telephone network, you must organize separate CDR data collection. In this case, the Remote cabinet switch should not be enabled in the routes (gateways) to these PBXs, the extensions (internal telephone numbers) of subscribers must belong to these PBXs, and numbering plans must be created separately for all such PBXs.